


Vegan Birthday Cake

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-06 03:05:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15877197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: The druids (and Isebell) start a new birthday tradition for Kora and Emily. Emily belongs to emilie-catnight on tumblr.





	Vegan Birthday Cake

Normally, it would be strange for two horses to be parked outside of Kora's cottage outside of Dundull, one Shire and one Morgan (the Shire made the Morgan look like a twig), but this had been happening rather frequently lately. Not because Kora had a caller of the romantic nature, of course (Kora had no desire for such things, all she needed in life was her Beeper and her animals), but because she had something rare. A friend.

"What do you think they've got planned for our birthdays?" asked Emily as she sat at Kora's kitchen table with a glass of soy chocolate milk in front of her. Kora had a cup of tea, herself, most of the druids drank the stuff like it was the elixir of life.

"Hopefully not a party," said Kora in her usual soft voice. "I hate parties."

"The party for Beeper's graduation was pretty nice, though," said Emily. "Spiders aside. No offense." Kora gave her a slight frown, which was as much emotion as the druid girl usually showed, but then looked back at her tea.

"I won't tell the spiders you said that," said Kora. "They are misunderstood."

"Sorry," said Emily. She resisted the urge to pick at a speck of something on the table. "But I wouldn't mind a party like his one where all the guests are animals. Maybe some of my friends."

"Hmm," Kora murmured in agreement. "I wouldn't be too concerned if they combined our parties into one. Just as long as the guest list remains small."

"It's okay, the druids are mostly a solitary bunch anyway," said Emily. "At least we know the food will be vegan, though. And good vegan food, too."

"It is difficult to find good vegan food elsewhere in the world, or so I've heard," said Kora.

"It is," said Emily, nodding. "But here, it's normal. It's great." She smiled as she raised her glass to her lips and took a sip of her drink.

"It is," said Kora. "But they will likely combine our parties anyway. Please don't invite too many people. If you'd like, you are more than welcome to go out with your friends afterwards. I hear that most young people do that."

"I might go see a movie," Emily mused. "But I'll let Avalon know that you're okay with combining the parties."

"Thank you," said Kora. "And Safiya would like you to know that she is feeling fine and that you need to stop worrying so much about her. Also that she loves you." Emily smiled at that, leaning down to pet her dog's head.

"You're such a good girl," Emily cooed. "The dog, I mean."

"I know," said Kora. She almost laughed, which was as good as a laugh, coming from her. "It is always pleasing to see other humans who love their animal companions as much as their animals love them."

"Anyone who doesn't is just a bad owner," said Emily. She finished off her glass of chocolate milk, then walked over to Kora's kitchen sink to rinse her glass. "Thanks for putting up with our company."

"Well, Safiya is nice company to be around," said Kora. "And remember: not too many guests, please."

"Alright," said Emily. "I'll see you there." Collecting Safiya, Emily left, putting Henry's tack back on and then riding out of Mistfall at a pace slow enough that Safiya could easily keep up. It was a nice ride, anyway. Kora wasn't the only one who enjoyed the quiet greenery of Mistfall. Emily smiled as she rode, feeling the wing caressing her face and running through her hair.

"Well, what did she say?" asked Avalon as soon as Emily got back. He was currently nursing his son, Harry, on his lap.

"Hello to you too," said Emily. "She said it's fine but not too many guests. Which basically means it'll be just us."

"Ah," said Avalon. "Well, I hope that she'll be able to tolerate our company for an hour, at least. I've forbidden my brother from coming. And your birth mother, of course. Much to Alex's dismay."

"It never gets less weird when you put it like that," said Emily. "I'm guessing you'll send a squirrel or seagull to Kora when it's time?"

"Of course," said Avalon.

"And yet I had to ride all the way out there to ask her if she was coming," said Emily.

"I didn't hear you complaining," said Avalon. "And I needed to finish getting your gift ready."

"Is it ready yet?" asked Emily.

"Nice try. You'll be getting your gift at the party, along with Kora," said Avalon.

"Of course," said Emily. She smiled at Harry, signing 'hello' to him. Harry smiled and waved his hands at her.

"Your girlfriend is coming too, by the way," said Avalon. "That was why I needed to ask about Kora, because she wanted to set off fireworks."

"Oh, god," said Emily, wrinkling her nose. "That could've ended badly."

"I know," said Avalon. "Now, it's your job to go and tell her the bad news."

"Great," said Emily with a sigh. "Time to go break her heart. C'mon, Henry. Safiya, you coming?" Her dog looked up at her, then looked back at Avalon and padded over to him. "Yeah, I thought not. She scarred you for life, letting off those fireworks." And Isebell had apologised profusely, of course, being just that kind of person. But, no matter how much she'd apologised or how much Emily had forgiven her, Safiya just didn't want to go and see Isebell again. That was unfortunate. Maybe she'd find a way to get over it if things got more serious between the two.

The ride to Fort Pinta was not as nice as the ride to and from Mistfall had been, but there was still sun and breeze and the sights and sounds of nature. And that was always nice. Though, Emily definitely felt her heart speed up as she got closer and closer to Fort Pinta. Isebell still put on shows there sometimes, when she was able to pull one together. After all, Emily wasn't here to help her out all the time like she had been once. A lot of things were happening now, and there was a baby in the house.

"My little soy bean, there you are!" Isebell called as Emily rode into Fort Pinta and slowed Henry down to a stop in front of her girlfriend. She dismounted, then accepted Isebell's loving embrace and peppering of kisses (Isebell always acted like Emily had been away for weeks whenever they reunited, even though she'd literally texted her that morning).

"That's one of the better ones," said Emily, an easy smile coming to her lips.

"I do still work on my vegan-friendly pet names for you," said Isebell. "Because I care, of course."

"And you might explode if you had to call me something else," said Emily. "You do still know my name, don't you?"

"Of course, it's Emily," said Isebell. "I just like pet names. My little broccoli floret." Emily laughed.

"I have some bad news, though," said Emily. "Don't worry, it's not the end of the world." She raised her hand as Isebell looked shocked. "Not yet, anyway. But you might see it that way."

"What's wrong, poppet?" asked Isebell, her eyes wide with concern.

"You can't set off any fireworks at the party because it's being combined with Kora Pelletier's birthday party," said Emily. "You've probably never heard of her, she lives out in Mistfall, kind of a hermit, prefers animals to humans. If you set off fireworks, she might actually kill you for startling wildlife."

"Oh no," Isebell bemoaned. "I'd never want to ruin your party, sugar lump. I suppose that I can forego the fireworks, though. For the party."

"Well, the party's around lunchtime, anyway," said Emily. "We wouldn't be able to see them."

"Well... will the party be finished by nightfall?" asked Isebell, fingering her lip.

"Most likely," said Emily. "It's not like there'll be any alcohol, and I know that Kora won't stay long. She hates crowds."

"Avalon told me it'd probably just be a small party, though," said Isebell.

"She thinks Valedale is crowded," said Emily.

"Oh," said Isebell, nodding as the realisation dawned on her. "A shy little violet, then. That's okay, I'll go easy on her. Or avoid her altogether. Oh, but that would be so rude."

"You're sweet," said Emily, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm sure you'll be fine. I'll see you at the party."

"I'll be there with bells on," said Isebell, looking excited despite the lack of fireworks. She gave Emily one last kiss before waving her off, returning to whatever she'd been doing. Fiddling with gunpowder, it looked like.

Back in Valedale, the party preparations were in full swing. A table was being set up between the inn and the stables, along with a few streamers and balloons. Delicious smells were already wafting from the Valedale cafe, as well as Elizabeth's cottage. And fortunately, for once, there was no sign of a white-clad Dark Rider.

"You know, one of the benefits of vegan bakery is that dogs aren't as drawn to the smells," said Elizabeth as she emerged from her cottage carrying a loaf of bread. Not the most typical party food, but it certainly looked and smelled delicious.

"Did Safiya get that message, though?" asked Emily, watching with amusement as her dog followed Elizabeth.

"No," said Elizabeth, frowning at the dog. "Shoo! This isn't for you, this is for your mother." Emily laughed as Safiya came over to her for comforting pats, which she was gladly given.

"It smells great," said Emily. "Also, that might be cats you're thinking of with the baking."

"Maybe," said Elizabeth. "At any rate, try to keep her away from the table. I don't want her eating all the food before our guests arrive."

"Alright," said Emily, still rubbing Safiya's neck. "You be good now, okay?" she cooed to her dog. "Leave the food alone, that's human food. You've got plenty of food in your bowl." Safiya gave her a mournful look, so Emily kissed the top of her head.

By the time Kora finally arrived, everything had been set out. Even a few presents, though one of Kora's looked suspiciously like a bird feeder.

"I thought you said there wouldn't be too many people," Kora muttered as she rode her horse into Valedale, toying with her necklace. Beeper rode on her horse's rump, keeping a careful eye out for anything suspicious.

"It's just us," said Emily. There were a few of her friends, mostly from her club, the Soul Riders, and Avalon and Elizabeth.

"I suppose I can tolerate it," said Kora, rubbing her arms after dismounting. "For a little while. But after the cake and presents, I might go back home."

"That's okay," said Avalon, coming over to her. Kora backed up a step, her eyes going huge at the sight of the baby. "At least you came along, in the end."

"I think Harry’s scaring her," said Emily, fighting back a smirk. It wasn't funny. Well, it was, but making fun of other people wasn't very nice.

"Oh," said Avalon. "Sorry, Kora. Here, er, Emily, take Harry to his mother."

"Gladly," said Emily. She smiled as she took the baby, cooing as she carried him over to where Elizabeth was straightening up the presents.

"Wow, Kora came? Now, there's the surprise of the century," said Elizabeth.

"She's only staying for cake and presents," said Emily.

"Yes, crowds do overwhelm her," said Elizabeth. She signed 'hello' to her baby, then took him from Emily, making sweet cooing notions to him. "I'm honestly surprised that she even showed up. She's declined every other year."

"I think she only showed up because she knew she'd get to see Safiya," said Emily.

"That's fair," said Elizabeth, nodding. "But now that she's here, the party can begin."

It was a very nice party, all things considered. The food was delicious, the company was great (but it always was, Avalon and Elizabeth were great people), and Kora even managed to look like she was enjoying herself. Just as Emily had suspected, one of her gifts was a bird feeder, which she actually grinned at.

"This will help me to feed my birds," said Kora, holding it up. "It will hang nicely from the branches in my orchard. Thank you."

"Here's another one, too," said Elizabeth, handing Kora a much smaller package. Emily was a little confused when Kora unwrapped it to discover a piece of fabric inside, but Kora's face lit up.

"Beeper!" said Kora, looking around for her bird. Beeper fluttered down from the branches of a towering oak, landing in front of his companion. "Look, this is for you." It was a tiny little neckerchief, perfectly sized for a bird, with golden detailing and a 'B' on the dark green fabric.

"His official uniform," said Elizabeth, smiling.

"Thank you," said Kora, grinning again. "Thank you so much, Elizabeth, Beeper and I are both honoured."

"Now I feel bad because my present pile is huge," said Emily, looking at what was left.

"I don't mind, really," said Kora. "This is all that I wanted."

Emily still felt a little awkward opening her presents in front of Kora, though, especially with her haul. She received at least three sets of tack, enough money to buy the horses to go with the tack, a few (polyester) sweaters, and some nice new jeans. One sweater had a cat on it, which she very much enjoyed.

The cake, too, was a delicious vegan chocolate cake.

"This is the best vegan bakery in possibly the entire world," said Kora as she enjoyed her slice. "I only wish that they delivered to Mistfall."

"Well, with your new bird messengers, it can be... air-dropped to you," said Elizabeth. Emily laughed.

"That's not what most people think when they hear that term," said Emily. "It is pretty neat, though. And a good idea, with the bakery."

"Hmm. I will speak with the owner before I leave, and the birds when I get home," said Kora.

Just as everyone had expected (and as she'd stated), Kora left after finishing her cake and speaking with the owner of the Valedale cafe. She left smiling, so Emily thought that her idea of air-dropping cake had been received well.

"Pumpkin, I have to confess that I am glad that she's gone," said Isebell, watching Kora ride away as she sat very close to Emily on the bench seat.

"I hope you're not planning on letting off fireworks," said Emily. "Because there are a lot of animals to frighten here."

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not," said Isebell. "I've actually spent all day planning out how I'm going to put on a show without them, just for you. I was just worried, this whole time, that I'd do or say something to upset Kora."

"You're sweet," said Emily, giving her a kiss. "I know it goes against your very nature not to use fireworks."

"I have changed for my love," said Isebell. In some ways, she definitely reminded Emily of Ydris. Though Emily still didn't want the two to meet, because Ydris might steal her girl.

"Will I get to see this change?" asked Emily.

"Yes," said Isebell. "As soon as the sun goes down."

"Alright, I'm intrigued," said Emily. "Unless that was innuendo." Isebell laughed.

"Sweetpea, when I do innuendo, you'll know," said Isebell. "Trust me."

"I believe you," said Emily. Though, now she couldn't wait for night to come. How could Isebell put on a show at night without fireworks?

The answer, in hindsight, was almost glaringly obvious. Once the stars finally came out and the light faded from the day, Isebell walked over to a few large boxes and crates that had been set up into a makeshift stage. It didn't look very safe, but Emily knew that her girlfriend would be fine.

"Ladies and gentlemen and other!" Isebell declared as she stood proudly in the middle of the stage. There was a spotlight on her, of course, making her suit glitter. "And very special guest, of course." She winked, making Emily blush. "It is my greatest pleasure to present to you all, a spectacular show of lights! Now, this was going to be fireworks, but fear not! I know that many animals actually fear the wonderful rockets of smoke and noise, and, taking this into account, I have changed it a little. And so, it is my pleasure, to show you what I mean."

With a flourish, Isebell produced a remote control, which she pointed at something hidden offstage. And, all around her, little lights appeared on the trees, nestling among leaves and in branches. As they watched, the lights began to move slightly, in patterns that didn't flicker too much, around the tree trunks and dancing among the branches. It was magical. Maybe not as showy as fireworks, but... Emily had to admit that her girlfriend was pretty good with the lasers, too.

Soft music began to play, which the lights in the trees slowly flickered and moved to. A smile spread across Emily's face as she watched, feeling her heart beat with joy. This was so beautiful. And, of course, there was a heart with her name in it at the end. Emily chuckled, her face reddening as she looked down for a moment.

When the show was over, Isbelle bowed to the applause of the crowd and then hopped off the stage to come and enjoy her girlfriend's praises.

"Well, what did you think, my little sunflower?" asked Isebell.

"It was beautiful," said Emily. "I'm touched that you went to all that trouble for me."

"Well, fireworks do have the little downside of needing special permits and not being available if the weather is foul, anyway," said Isebell. "Perhaps lasers are the way of the future."

"I won't complain," said Emily. "Pet owners everywhere will love you."

"And one pet owner in particular?" Isebell hedged. Emily grinned and kissed her. Her girlfriend was so sweet.


End file.
